Hacker help: How to stablize Hemnes shelves?

Jules Yap·
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hemnes bookcase 0106827 PE256066 S4
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hemnes bookcase 0106827 PE256066 S4

Materials: Hemnes shelf unit

Description: I have this shelf unit but cannot install the back in the location where it must go. I find the shelves very unstable….they keep falling down at the least disturbance. Can anyone suggest a hack they’ve tried which worked to make this unit more stable?

I’ve tried reversing the shelf pins so that the longer end is out but that made no difference. Everything keeps crashing down…help!

~ Jeannette M Finnigan, Canada

Jules Yap
Latest posts by Jules Yap (see all)

58 Responses

  1. Love the look of these shelves. Also, something about being “real” wood is a bonus in my eyes (vs melamine, particle board, etc.). That being said, here are what I find the downsides of the shelves and fixes are.

    The wood is extremely dry. Makes it a bit more brittle than what I would expect. No real fix on this, just be careful when screwing in anything that needs to be screwed in. I’ve found that on occasion I have to glue in wood scraps into the screw holes to tighten the pins better.

    Shelves can have a tendency to fall. I tried to figure this one out for a while, I’d fix the shelves, put stuff back on them and with a bit of movement of the shelfing unit, they would fall again. I realized the problem was bowing of the sides outward toward the middle of the units. The fiberboard backs kept coming out of their tracks and I noticed an 1/8 of an inch gap. So the shelves don’t sit on their pins properly and the shelves fall. My fix on this was as others, glue. I glue the fiberboard backs into their tracks which kept the bowing from occurring. I was generous with the glue, wiping down both sides, front and back with a damp cloth to remove excess. The strength this offered made a big difference. I’d still like to put solid wood bars on the backs across the fiberboard as more insurance of holding the sides in place. Not sure if i want to drill into the units or use a bar with a slide-able L bracket on both sides that I can tight as need. This solution would show metal on the sides towards the back of the units which might not be desirable. Drilling into the wood might stress the sides though.

    One problem I’ve run into on both units I’ve bought so far is the fit of the 2 fiberboard backs. They seem to overlap a bit in the middle when you slide them in place and its nearly impossible to have them tuck neatly in. I’ve had to take a sander and sand a fractidon off of the joint to get them to go together. Anyone else have this problem?

    I’ve been able to fully load down the shelves with books and not have any issues after these fixes.

    Reply

    1. So to revisit the ikea hemnes fixes. I have waited over a year for ikea to get these back in stock. Finally got notified that they are back in stock. They went up over 25% in price, they’re now at $249 instead of the previous $199. I have read that Ikea has cheapened some of their items (Billy bookcases are no longer wood veneer but covered with what they call “foil” which is actually paper. On the Hemnes I believe they changed out some of the hardware as well. Several of the locking screws they supplied broke. The metal seemed very brittle and weak and they sheer off quite easily. I went to the local lowes and bought a few steel replacement parts. Much stronger. Only downside is they’re silver not black, but they’re in places you cant see anyway.
      So beyond my usual glueing of the parts to keep the sides from bowing, I decided to look at the shelf pins. I put a lot of expensive items on these shelves, rare(ish) books, and other collectibles. So I went to Amazon and bought a pack of their 5mm x 40mm shelf pins. They work perfectly. Even if the sides do bow out, there should be no way the shelves will fall with these pins since they’re almost twice as long as the ikea supplied pins.

      Still the shelves are quite serviceable but for cautions reason I say you might want to look at replacing some of the hardware.

      Reply

  2. Hi; I’ve found that Ikea has done a product recall of these. They will provide new, longer pins that aim to solve the problem. This recall was issued in April 2019. You won’t have to provide a receipt.

    Reply

  3. I just want to thank all of the folks who provide some great ideas for fixing the Hemnes shelf unit. I am disappointed that IKEA has not or actually realized the design flaws and corrected them. “Fortunately”, I only had books when my shelf crashed. The two above the fixed shelf were fine. The bottom two collapsed. Heading to HD for some screws and L brackets. Thanks again.

    Reply

  4. Very helpful input from all comments.
    I had a seizure and fell through one of mine, and the other is falling apart so I’m going to try to save this wonderful piece of engineering with diy hacks.

    Reply

  5. Had the same issues after an earthquake.

    I installed 90 degree brackets on the bottom shelf that screw into the sides of the book case. Then added 2 additional screws through the sides of the book case into the integral middle shelf. I added longer pegs on two shelves that had obvious bowing and everything’s good now.

    The brackets are from old book shelf wall braces, long pegs from other IKEA furniture and screws were small woodscrews had in my toolbox.

    Reply

  6. I installed boards across the back to keep the sides from bowing out. I screwed each end of the support board to each side of the cabinet. I also bought bigger shelf pins at the hardware store.

    Reply

    1. Use two small screws. Screw one on each side of the bookshelf. Stay close to the center of the wood, so not to cause it to crack. Take picture hanging wire and wrap it around both screws and tighten. Done.

      Reply

      1. This is what I did. It worked great. Pro tip: #2 x 1/2in are a little too small, and Ook 25lb 18 gauge galvanized steel wire is just about right if you use a pair of vice grips and wrap the wire around the screw very tightly. I ended up doing four screws and two lengths of wire. It’s working great!

        Reply

    2. Use two small screws. Screw one on each side of the Back of the bookshelf. Stay close to the center of the wood, so not to cause it to crack. Take picture hanging wire and wrap it around both screws and tighten. Done.

      Reply

  7. I have Hemnes cabinet with the glass panel doors. My shelves have all fallen as well. It is due to the frame bowing out. I can used the suggestions with the L frame to hold the shelves in place by giving the shelf more to “sit” on but is there a way to strengthen the back area to prevent the bowing?

    Reply

  8. Good news, I think the design has been changed by IKEA, the back is no longer nailed in but they are sort of gripper brackets that get screwed in. Also, the front pins for the shelves are now different, with a pin bit slotting into a predrilled hole on the underside of the shelf.

    Reply

  9. For any UK readers reading this, this was my solution.
    I wanted to install the bookcase without the back. Without the back in place, there is nothing to stop the shelves sliding backwards, and even the slightest backwards movement will mean the shelf falls off the front shelf support pegs. The first time this happened the middle (integral) shelf was completely destroyed!

    Went to B&Q and bought a bag of 5mm diameter, 20mm long screws and some lightweight brackets. If you want to screw into the existing peg holes then use 6mm diameter screws, but check that 6mm screws will fit the eyelets of the brackets that you buy!
    Replaced the front pegs with the brackets and used IKEA’s pegs at the back. Depending on the length of the brackets that you buy (I think mine were 20mm) then the shelves will just sit on top of the brackets and are unable to fall off even if sliding back. I opted to drill the shelf into the bracket as well to stop them sliding around. With a power drill the screws sink quite easily into the wood.

    Reply

    2. Nice. I think the rear pins are also to short, denting the shelf and oblongs the frame pin hole and it’s going to fail too eventually.

      Reply

  10. Same problem here. The shelves collapsed out of the blue after 8 months except for the bottom one. It broke all of our wine glasses. Ikea should recall that product and offer a refund.

    Reply

  11. This worked perfectly and it was incredibly affordable!

    “Prime-Line 5 mm 20 lb. Nickel-Plated Steel Shelf Support Pegs” from Home Depot.

    Thank you SO much for the suggestion !!!!!

    Reply

    1. This fix worked perfectly for my shelves. The bottom 3 shelves do not fit the width of the bookcase as there is space left at the back to string cords up. Putting L-shaped shelf support pegs on the bottom 3 shelves provided additional length that kept the shelves in place.

      Reply

  12. I have the same problem. Shelves keep sliding back just enough to miss the tiny pins and fall, causing everything to go crashing to the floor. I think it is because the cardboard backing has gradually loosened (Mine doesn’t fit flush against wall because of my baseboard trim). I would have to take my entire wall unit apart to pull it out to renail the back on tight. And I don’t think it would stay. I did a quick search on Amazon and found other shelf support brackets I am going to try. I just hope they will fit since there will have to be enough room on the sides of the shelves for the L shaped pins. But since they are wider, if they fit they should fix the problem. Otherwise I’m going with the wood glue idea. I don’t understand why ikea doesn’t just make wider pins that the shelves won’t fall off of. Seems simple to me.

    Reply

  13. i just spent 4 hours putting the smaller Hemnes together. I couldnt get the shelves to stay up long enuf to put the books on them. No more IKEA for me. I was thinking about having some pine shelves cut slightly larger, and using a different kind of post and bracket. I didnt want to use the cheesy back, I will square it up somehow.

    Reply

  14. This was the single most useful page on the entire internet about these shelves. They are by far (in my opinion) the prettiest bookshelves I’ve ever seen and the only ones made of real wood.

    I would love to see IKEA implement reviews on their site, but they are too scared!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for sharing this.. I’ve had the same problem with this unit.. worst purchase ever. I’m going to try to get the support pegs from Home Depot.. Thanks!!! 😉

      Reply

  15. I wishI read all of this prior. After almost a year my shelves just crashed and the shelf will not reach the pegs. Weird. Im going to try the above suggestions but Ikea will never see me again.

    Reply

    1. I bought two Hemnes bookcases and the bridge. One bookcase collapsed while we were out. They are in my son’s room. I tried several things before today but nothing worked. This morning I googled it hoping to get lucky. I cannot believe how many people have had this problem. Incredibly frustrating.

      Reply

      1. Absolute GARBAGE!!!!!!!
        Mine lasted exactly 29 days, and not with a lot of weight on the shelves, mind you.
        AND I just went to the IKEA website, no where is mention made of load capacity! So, unless my toner cartridges, 5 reams of paper, a stack of spirals, marketing packets weighing about 25 lbs….all evenly distributed, exceed that unknown, mysterious and secret capacity…
        I am so annoyed – I have to disassemble what should go to the curb and schlep it back to the store!

        Reply

  16. I emptied Hemnes bookcase. laid it sideways on floor and glued back into grooves now I plan to screw the Bowing sides to the shelves. I also bought longer pins on Amazon. IKEA had offered me a credit refund, said any fix would void the warranty

    Reply

    1. Can you tell me what size pegs you purchased? I can’t find the size of the existing pegs anywhere. My case is completely square, level, and tightened.. however my 4th shelf just does not reach all 4 pegs at once.

      Reply

  17. My shelves just collapsed. All of them except the one nearest the bottom. Piece of crap. Broke my china. Product should be recalled. Has anyone informed trading standards?

    Reply

  18. Solution for the bottom shelf: #6 screw eyes (Everbilt 803672). Nice and solid. Be careful not to screw them in too far or the tip will poke out the front/back of the bookcase.

    Solution for the other shelves: #12 x 3/4 in screws + 2 1/2 in corner brace (Everbilt 807601 + 339 709). The screws are just the right size for the peg holes, and the braces are big enough to accommodate those screws and nice and long for supporting the shelves. You can screw the braces into the shelves if you want to but I haven’t found that that’s necessary.

    I also drilled screws into the center shelves for additional protection against the bookcases bowing out.

    Thanks to a handful of hardware, I’ve got double-stacked hardcovers on my Hemnes bookcases with no issues at all. Highly recommend these solutions.

    Reply

    1. This sounds like the most sturdy solution out there. I put small nails in each side of each shelf in one of the bookcases, making it so the shelves can never be taken out (but then can never fall out), but I like your solution more.

      Do you have photos by chance?

      Reply

  19. The cause of the problem is threefold. The pegs are pretty short to begin with. Additionally the size of the opening is quite bigger than the shelf, leaving quite some wiggle room. But the killer is the groove at the back of shelves, meant for wires etc. This will easily slip when moved and cause the shelf to fall.

    I’ve found that an interim solution is to reverse the peg in the back corner so that its longer end is exposed. This will adequately support the shelf to where it won’t fall (not sure about the weight carrying capacity)

    Currently searching online for longer pegs. This wouldn’t be an issue of both ends were longer!

    Reply

  20. I am having the exact same issue as described here and it has quickly become the bane of my existence. This is nothing short of a glaring design flaw. IKEA is really opening themselves up to liability with this product, and I’m surprised they still sell it given the chance of injury or damages to belongings. If I have to rely on after market tooling and reinforcement for your product days after assembly, then the fault is in the design.

    Reply

  21. Ikea is still selling these shelves. Wish I had googled this information before buying them and spending hours picking up books after loading shelves. Can ikea add word of warning and include brackets with this kit pleasae.

    Reply

  22. I agree with others that this is essentially a design flaw. I have two of these, and the weight of my books seems to hold the shelves in place okay, but I wouldn’t use them for china. I noticed the potential issue while moving homes recently; a nearly empty shelf crashed while I was removing books from it for packing, and broke a vase in the process. I might look into drilling a small hollow along the bottom edges where the metal pins sit – just large enough for the pins, so they sit inside and flush with the shelves rather than below. I haven’t tried this myself yet, but that’s how shelves were secured in all of the other ikea pieces I’ve owned, and they were very stable.

    Reply

  23. I just had a flipping disaster this morning — and I can say quite definitively that the problem has almost nothing to with assembly. It’s a design flaw. The shelves aren’t deep enough to begin with, so they slide forwards and backwards. The pins they’re sitting on aren’t very long — not long enough to compensate — at least under certain circumstances which I”ll describe below. When the shelf slides to the back of the unit, it falls off the front pins. I discovered this to my chagrin this morning, as I stood, barefoot, in the middle of a sea of broken glass.

    To reiterate — and to echo what Jess Fix wrote — this happens even on what I’ll call a properly assembled china cabinet unit — with the back on and everything. The unit isn’t stable enough and the doggone shelves aren’t deep enough, and the front pins aren’t long enough. It might make it easier to adjust the height of the shelves, since they’re not in tightly, but it’s a real problem if you have anything of value on the shelves. They slip off the front pins, and then with even the slightest pressure on the front edge of the shelf, the shelf will flip — back part up, sending everything crashing to the floor.

    The stability issue — the back is basically cardboard, nailed on to the back of the unit, with some rather flimsy nails.. As it turns out, if the unit isn’t resting perfectly balanced, it will be under stresses that can cause those nails to loosen. If the cardboard backing loosens the slightest bit — and the sliding shelves probably play a part in a process — the shelves will slide enough to fall off the front pins. None of this was visible or apparent until the shelf flipped and the glasses flew/slid off the shelf, crashing onto our wood floor. In fact, I only noticed the problem with the backing after I first wrote a comment — I’m setting the record straight now about how this problem may have developed. Even under the ideal circumstances, this uint would be flimsy, and the shelves would have some play — would slide. I suspect that puts some pressure on the nails. Also, I know our floor isn’t level — I had to a great deal of adjusting when I assembled this to get the doors to line up well enough to close properly. Unfortunately, I’m guessing that also put some stress on the unit and the nails holding the cardboard backing in place. They loosened slightly, which allowed the shelves to slide around further — and it only takes a couple of millimeters for the shelves to slip off of the front pins.

    This cost us lots of money in smashed barware, today — probably more than the whole unit cost. Then, there’s the hours I spent getting up each sliver of glass, so that the cats could safely walk there. Not happy about it. I’ll have to consider what I can do to remedy this situation, and I’ll consider Jess Fix’s approach. I might also consider what I can do to hold the backing more tightly in place. I might also consider approaching store management. I called customer service line, and after a long search, she couldn’t find a longer pin that would take care of the problem, but she did direct me to this website in search of more definitive help.

    Reply

  25. If the shelves are slipping/falling then the middle shelf is not securely attached. The bookshelf is essentially bowing out in the middle which is why the shelves fall. Re-tighten the screws that attach the middle shelf to the bookcase and you should be good.

    Reply

    1. This solved my problem! I feel a little silly now, after having been living with unsteady shelves for years, but thanks!

      Reply

  26. I had a disaster with a properly installed cabinet version of the Hemnes which involved quite a lot of china smashing as a shelf slipped off the front posts (on Christmas day no less!).

    My fix was to buy a bunch of “Prime-Line 5 mm 20 lb. Nickel-Plated Steel Shelf Support Pegs” from Home Depot and swap out the IKEA standard pegs. These are pegs attached to L-brackets with a small hole for a screw on the underside of the shelf (should you need one). They aren’t very noticeable (which I was concerned about) and only run to about $2 for 8–MUCH less than a cabinet of smashed china.

    The shelves themselves are just not deep enough for the unit, which leads to them slipping backwards (even with a tightly nailed in back) and dropping of the front posts.

    Reply

  27. QUESTION: Has anyone figured out how to hack a Hemnes bookcase to make it taller – like 84″ or 96″ ?Billy bookcases are tall, but not sturdy enough.

    Reply

  28. IF: The shelves are sliding out the back, get an adhesive “foot” and stick it to the underside of the shelf on the inside of the rear support and the inside of the front support…Like: support, sticky foot in the front and sticky foot, support in the rear. That should work if they are sliding out.
    IF: the whole set of shelves are unstable, on the inside of the front install flat “L” brackets with screws. That should keep the thing stable (which is what the back is supposed to do).

    Reply

  29. Depending on why you can’t install the back, you might consider cross-bracing it.

    The OBSERVATÖR cross brace for GORM shelving may work:

    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/67797300/

    The brace itself says it does up to ~32″ shelving, and the bookcase is ~35″ wide, but I’d say its worth a shot. Two of them (one very top, one very bottom) installed with the shelf perfectly square would probably end your wobbliness problems.

    Could also cross-brace with aircraft cable and turnbuckles, but that’d be more obtrusive, complex, and expensive.

    Good Luck!

    -C

    Reply

  30. I think your problem is that the shelves themselves are simply sliding out of the back of the unit, am I right? I had the same problem with my Hemnes bookcase. I drilled a small hole 1/8 inch and put a small screw 3/4″ long wood screw at a 45deg angle at the back corner of each shelf, where the electrical wire slot is. This holds the shelves in nicely. Alternatively on another ikea bookcase the shelves have little grooves on the bottom where the pins go, so you could add some of those, but that is harder in my opinion.

    Reply

  31. You need diagonal bracing of any form. Using the Ivar metal part sounds good. Even Screwing the boards into place will do little to stabilize the whole thing.

    Reply

  32. You’re saying you want to use this unit of furniture without the back? Is that correct? With the back installed properly (taking time to square it) and the unit secured to the wall (as instructed), mine is very stable.

    However, if you’re sure you want to try it without the back … I haven’t tried it with this unit, but I do have several billys (both tall and short) I use without the backs and I can share how I’ve made that work.

    Disclaimer: Use this idea at your own risk!

    STEP 1: Instead of using the pegs, I attach all shelves using L-brackets. I take 4 small L brackets (from any hardware store) and attach them to each shelf by lining each up with the holes that would hold the pegs (use drill and small screw). Then take 4 more screws that are just wider than the peg holes in the side of the shelf unit (so that the threads will hold … #12 for billy). Decide where you want the shelf and attach the shelf by screwing through all 4 L brackets into all 4 peg holes (into the frame of the shelf unit. Now your shelves are securely attached to the frame using screws and simple L brackets. The shelves are still completely adjustable using a screw driver instead of pulling out the peg, much more stable, and much less likely to be knocked down by a toddler.
    STEP 2: Attach to wall using more L brackets or something else that is solid (not a strap).

    Reply

  33. You could permanently fix one shelf, preferably the middle one, to the sides with brackets or screws, that ought to hold it square enough.. And if all else fails: duct tape… 😀

    Reply

  34. Could try cross braces used for IVAR shelving to keep them square.
    Also the sides could be bowing out, so might need a brace across middle from left to right to pull the sides back in.

    Reply

  35. The back panel is an integral part of the book case. If the back is not installed or was installed improperly, the bookcase is not square and is missing a good part of its support. Adding l-supports at the corners may square the bookcase enough, but are probably too short to do any good.

    Empty the bookcase out, remove the back (if not already loose), lay the bookcase on a flat surface (outside if you need to), square the book case using a tape measure (opposite diagonals should be exactly the same measurement), and then install the use the back panel in the square’d bookcase using new brads.

    You may need to go to the hardware store and purchase a tape measure, a hammer, and new brads (little nails) .

    Reply

  36. lay it face down and position the back in the unit to get the corners perfectly square again. then screw L or angle plates on the corners from the back to keep the unit aligned. position the unit upright before you take the back off again, so you don’t twist it out of alignment. if the load on the bookcase is heavy, you might have to reinforce top and bottom with a strip of lumber and L brackets, and anchor it to the wall that way….kind of like the way kitchen cabinets are installed.

    Reply

  37. can you cut the back, so that it has a strip of the backing on the top and the bottom? The back on this style shelf is what keeps it square. Perhaps you could cut a triangle shapped piece of the back, one for each corner, and then it would fit? Tell us more about why the back can’t be used- maybe we could come up with a work around.

    Reply

  39. I agree. L-brackets along the top and bottoms to keep it at 90° so the shelves are stable will do the trick.

    Reply

  40. I suspect it is going slightly trapezoidal without the back to brace it. The shelves are then too short, and fall down. If you reinforce the right angles with either L-braces on the back or corner braces on the inner surfaces it may solve your problem.

    Reply

    1. I think it’s a flaw with the product. I saw the same thing when I was examining the Hemnes bookcase in the display section of an IKEA store. The shelf slipped past the pins and all the books fell on the floor.
      The product should be withdrawn. It’s dangerous.

      Reply

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